Employment
Lei do Trabalho 13/2023 with fixed-term rules and mandatory compensation on dismissal
The Lei do Trabalho (Lei 13/2023) replaced the 2007 statute, adjusting fixed-term contract rules, probation periods and the foreign-worker quota framework. Dismissal without just cause requires compensation calculated on salary and length of service, and disciplinary dismissal requires a documented internal process.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — The labour inspectorate supervises; labour sections of the judicial courts adjudicate.
- Deadline — Disciplinary process: written charge and opportunity to respond before dismissal
- Deadline — Compensation on dismissal without just cause: scaled by salary band and years of service
Governing law
- Lei do TrabalhoLei 13/2023
- Lei da Protecção SocialLei 4/2007
In practice
The 2023 law was awaited for years by investors in the LNG sector because it governs both the fixed-term contracting used on construction projects and the expatriate quota; its compensation scale, tied to salary bands, makes senior dismissals materially cheaper than the previous open-ended formula.